independentparticipialrelativepurposecausecomparativecontentconditionalphrase modifierdashed = verbless / suspended
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The preface and the forty days 1:1–5
vv. 1–3 — the second volume announced: one suspended period, then the proofs
1
Τὸν μὲν πρῶτον λόγον ἐποιησάμην περὶ πάντων, ὦ Θεόφιλε,independent — the fronted object opens volume two — μέν with no answering δέ; the same patron as Lk 1:3
ὧν ἤρξατο ὁ Ἰησοῦς ποιεῖν τε καὶ διδάσκειν,relative — ὧν attracted (gen. for acc.) — ἤρξατο implies the sequel: what he began then, he continues now
2
ἄχρι ἧς ἡμέραςrelative — the temporal limit of volume one — ἧς attracted to ἡμέρας; the clause suspends until ἀνελήμφθη
ἐντειλάμενος τοῖς ἀποστόλοις διὰ πνεύματος ἁγίουparticipial — antecedent to the taking-up — even the last commands come διὰ πνεύματος, the note v. 8 will sound
οὓς ἐξελέξατοrelative — ἐκλέγομαι as at Lk 6:13 — election grounds the apostolate; the verb returns in the prayer of v. 24
ἀνελήμφθη.relative — the suspended ἄχρι-clause lands on its verb — ἀναλαμβάνω, Elijah's verb (2 Kgs 2:11 LXX), sounded again at vv. 11 and 22
3
οἷς καὶ παρέστησεν ἑαυτὸν ζῶντα μετὰ τὸ παθεῖν αὐτὸν ἐν πολλοῖς τεκμηρίοις,relative — on ἀνελήμφθη — οἷς resumes τοῖς ἀποστόλοις (v. 2), Luke's connecting relative; τεκμήριον, the rhetoricians' certain proof, NT hapax
δι᾽ ἡμερῶν τεσσεράκοντα ὀπτανόμενος αὐτοῖςparticipial — manner of the presenting — ὀπτάνομαι, the technical appearance verb (1 Cor 15:5–8); forty, the Sinai number
καὶ λέγων τὰ περὶ τῆς βασιλείας τοῦ θεοῦ.participial — coordinate participle — the kingdom, his first topic (Lk 4:43) and the book's last word (28:31)
vv. 4–5 — the charge at table: wait for the promise of the Father
4
καὶ συναλιζόμενοςparticipial — forward-leaning — συναλιζόμενος, a debated hapax: 'sharing salt' (table-fellowship, Lk 24:41–43) or 'assembling'; leans on παρήγγειλεν
παρήγγειλεν αὐτοῖςindependent — παραγγέλλω — the word of official orders
ἀπὸ Ἱεροσολύμων μὴ χωρίζεσθαι,content — first infinitive of the indirect command — the mission must start from the city (Lk 24:47)
ἀλλὰ περιμένειν τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν τοῦ πατρὸςcontent — the positive counterpart — περιμένω, NT hapax of expectant waiting; the promise is Lk 24:49's
ἣν ἠκούσατέ μου·relative — the sentence slides into direct speech — ἠκούσατέ, second person: Jesus' own voice breaks through the narrative
5
ὅτι Ἰωάννης μὲν ἐβάπτισεν ὕδατι,content — the promise quoted — recitative ὅτι; John's own antithesis returned to him (Lk 3:16)
ὑμεῖς δὲ ἐν πνεύματι βαπτισθήσεσθε ἁγίῳ οὐ μετὰ πολλὰς ταύτας ἡμέρας.content — the δέ of the contrast — divine passive; 'not many days': the ten-day countdown to Pentecost
The question about the kingdom and the ascension 1:6–11
vv. 6–8 — the last question and the programmatic answer
6
Οἱ μὲν οὖν συνελθόντες ἠρώτων αὐτὸν λέγοντες·independent — μὲν οὖν — answered by v. 7's δέ; imperfect ἠρώτων, insistent or repeated questioning
Κύριε, εἰ ἐν τῷ χρόνῳ τούτῳ ἀποκαθιστάνεις τὴν βασιλείαν τῷ Ἰσραήλ;content — direct question with εἰ — restoration hope (Mal 4:5–6), not rebuked in substance, only in timing
7
εἶπεν δὲ πρὸς αὐτούς·independent — the δέ that answers v. 6's μέν
Οὐχ ὑμῶν ἐστιν γνῶναι χρόνους ἢ καιροὺςcontent — predicate genitive — the timetable is not their property; χρόνοι and καιροί, duration and appointed moment (Dan 2:21)
οὓς ὁ πατὴρ ἔθετο ἐν τῇ ἰδίᾳ ἐξουσίᾳ.relative — middle ἔθετο — set for himself; ἰδίᾳ, the Father's sole prerogative (Mk 13:32)
8
ἀλλὰ λήμψεσθε δύναμινcontent — the strong ἀλλά — from calculation to commission; the book's programmatic verse begins
ἐπελθόντος τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος ἐφ᾽ ὑμᾶς,participial — genitive absolute — ἐπέρχομαι ἐφ᾽ ὑμᾶς echoes Lk 1:35 and Isa 32:15: the condition of all that follows
καὶ ἔσεσθέ μου μάρτυρες ἔν τε Ἰερουσαλὴμ καὶ ἐν πάσῃ τῇ Ἰουδαίᾳ καὶ Σαμαρείᾳ καὶ ἕως ἐσχάτου τῆς γῆς.content — kept one long line — the outline of Acts: Jerusalem (1–7), Judea and Samaria (8–12), the end of the earth (13–28); ἕως ἐσχάτου τῆς γῆς from Isa 49:6
vv. 9–11 — taken up: the cloud, and the two men in white
9
Καὶ ταῦτα εἰπὼνparticipial — preposed — the commission is his last word; leans on ἐπήρθη
βλεπόντων αὐτῶνparticipial — genitive absolute — the ascension is witnessed, not inferred; leans on ἐπήρθη
ἐπήρθη,independent — divine passive — the Father exalts (2:33; Phil 2:9)
καὶ νεφέλη ὑπέλαβεν αὐτὸν ἀπὸ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν αὐτῶν.independent — the Shekinah cloud (Exod 13:21; Dan 7:13; Lk 9:34) — ὑπολαμβάνω, reception, not mere occlusion
10
καὶ ὡς ἀτενίζοντες ἦσαν εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸνconditional — temporal ὡς-clause, forward-leaning (protasis convention) — periphrastic ἀτενίζοντες ἦσαν, the locked gaze; leans on παρειστήκεισαν
πορευομένου αὐτοῦ,participial — genitive absolute inside the gaze — πορεύομαι: the ascension as deliberate journey
καὶ ἰδοὺ ἄνδρες δύο παρειστήκεισαν αὐτοῖς ἐν ἐσθήσεσι λευκαῖς,independent — apodotic καί with ἰδού — pluperfect: already in place; the pair from the tomb (Lk 24:4)
11
οἳ καὶ εἶπαν·relative — connecting relative — the angelic speech-frame
Ἄνδρες Γαλιλαῖοι, τί ἑστήκατε βλέποντες εἰς τὸν οὐρανόν;content — the gentle rebuke — perfect ἑστήκατε, the fixed posture; mission, not gazing, is now the calling
οὗτος ὁ Ἰησοῦς ὁ ἀναλημφθεὶς ἀφ᾽ ὑμῶν εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν οὕτως ἐλεύσεταιcontent — οὗτος ὁ Ἰησοῦς — the same Jesus; the parousia promise (Dan 7:13; Rev 1:7)
ὃν τρόπον ἐθεάσασθε αὐτὸν πορευόμενον εἰς τὸν οὐρανόν.comparative — ὃν τρόπον answering οὕτως — visible, bodily, in cloud; θεάομαι, considered eyewitness seeing
The upper room — the praying community 1:12–14
vv. 12–13 — the return, and the roster of the eleven
12
Τότε ὑπέστρεψαν εἰς Ἰερουσαλὴμ ἀπὸ ὄρους τοῦ καλουμένου Ἐλαιῶνος,independent — prompt obedience to v. 4's charge — ὑποστρέφω, Luke's return verb; Olivet, Zech 14:4's mountain
ὅ ἐστιν ἐγγὺς Ἰερουσαλὴμ σαββάτου ἔχον ὁδόν.relative — Luke's halakhic geography — ~2,000 cubits (m. Erub. 4:3); the reader oriented precisely
13
καὶ ὅτε εἰσῆλθον,conditional — temporal ὅτε, forward-leaning — leans on ἀνέβησαν
εἰς τὸ ὑπερῷον ἀνέβησανindependent — the ὑπερῷον — possibly the Last Supper's room (Lk 22:12); the community's base until Pentecost
οὗ ἦσαν καταμένοντες,relative — periphrastic — καταμένω, NT hapax: settled residence
ὅ τε Πέτρος καὶ Ἰωάννης καὶ Ἰάκωβος καὶ Ἀνδρέας,phrase modifier — the roster begins — the delayed subject of ἀνέβησαν; Lk 6:14's order reshuffled, John promoted beside Peter, the pair of Acts 3–4
Φίλιππος καὶ Θωμᾶς,phrase modifier — the second pair — the future evangelist (8:5) and the former doubter
Βαρθολομαῖος καὶ Μαθθαῖος,phrase modifier — the third pair
Ἰάκωβος Ἁλφαίου καὶ Σίμων ὁ ζηλωτὴς καὶ Ἰούδας Ἰακώβου.phrase modifier — eleven names — the roster's silence about Iscariot is the vacancy vv. 15–26 must fill
v. 14 — one accord
14
οὗτοι πάντες ἦσαν προσκαρτεροῦντες ὁμοθυμαδὸν τῇ προσευχῇindependent — periphrastic imperfect — sustained practice; ὁμοθυμαδόν, Luke's unity word (10 of its 11 NT uses in Acts)
σὺν γυναιξὶν καὶ Μαριὰμ τῇ μητρὶ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ καὶ τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς αὐτοῦ.phrase modifier — the circle widened — the Galilean women (Lk 8:2–3), Mary's last NT appearance, and the once-unbelieving brothers (Jn 7:5)
The replacement of Judas 1:15–26
vv. 15–17 — the frame: Peter rises; Scripture had to be fulfilled
15
Καὶ ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ταύταις ἀναστὰς Πέτρος ἐν μέσῳ τῶν ἀδελφῶν εἶπεν·independent — the speech-frame — ἀναστάς, the assembly posture; 'brothers,' the community's first family-name in Acts
ἦν τε ὄχλος ὀνομάτων ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ ὡς ἑκατὸν εἴκοσι·phrase modifier — narrator's parenthesis on the assembly — ὄχλος ὀνομάτων, a census Semitism (Num 1:2 LXX); 120, a Sanhedrin-sized quorum (m. Sanh. 1:6)
16
Ἄνδρες ἀδελφοί, ἔδει πληρωθῆναι τὴν γραφὴνcontent — the speech opens on ἔδει — Luke's divine-necessity verb (Lk 24:44): Judas' fall lay inside the plan
ἣν προεῖπεν τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον διὰ στόματος Δαυὶδ περὶ Ἰούδαrelative — the hermeneutic stated — the Spirit the author, David the mouth (cf. 4:25); the citations themselves wait until v. 20
τοῦ γενομένου ὁδηγοῦ τοῖς συλλαβοῦσιν Ἰησοῦν·participial — attributive participle — ὁδηγός: he guided the arresting party to Gethsemane (Lk 22:47)
17
ὅτι κατηριθμημένος ἦν ἐν ἡμῖνcause — grounds of the necessity — periphrastic: his membership was real, which is why his defection needs Scripture
καὶ ἔλαχεν τὸν κλῆρον τῆς διακονίας ταύτης.cause — coordinate ground — λαγχάνω/κλῆρος: the allotted share, the word that returns when the lot falls at v. 26
vv. 18–19 — the narrator breaks in: Akeldama
18
Οὗτος μὲν οὖν ἐκτήσατο χωρίον ἐκ μισθοῦ τῆς ἀδικίας,phrase modifier — the parenthesis opens — Luke, not Peter, explains for Theophilus; Matt 27:7 has the priests buy it: the purchase told as Judas' own
καὶ πρηνὴς γενόμενος ἐλάκησεν μέσος,phrase modifier — πρηνής and λάσκω, both NT hapax — a death told differently from Matt 27:5's hanging; the divergence stands
καὶ ἐξεχύθη πάντα τὰ σπλάγχνα αὐτοῦ.phrase modifier — ἐκχέω — the verb Acts otherwise reserves for the outpoured Spirit (2:17, 33)
19
καὶ γνωστὸν ἐγένετο πᾶσιν τοῖς κατοικοῦσιν Ἰερουσαλήμ,phrase modifier — the parenthesis continues — common knowledge in the city
ὥστε κληθῆναι τὸ χωρίον ἐκεῖνο τῇ ἰδίᾳ διαλέκτῳ αὐτῶν Ἁκελδαμάχ,purpose — result (ὥστε + infinitive) — the Aramaic toponym, ḥăqal dəmā
τοῦτ᾽ ἔστιν Χωρίον Αἵματος.)phrase modifier — Luke's translation gloss for Greek readers — blood-money and blood both in the name; the parenthesis closes
v. 20 — the double citation
20
Γέγραπται γὰρ ἐν βίβλῳ ψαλμῶν·content — Peter's voice resumes — the γάρ reaches back across the parenthesis to v. 17; the Psalter cited as one prophetic book
Γενηθήτω ἡ ἔπαυλις αὐτοῦ ἔρημος καὶ μὴ ἔστω ὁ κατοικῶν ἐν αὐτῇ·content — Ps 69:25 — the imprecation on the enemy's camp, applied to Judas' field
καί· Τὴν ἐπισκοπὴν αὐτοῦ λαβέτω ἕτερος.content — Ps 109:8 — ἐπισκοπή, the vacated overseership: the warrant for everything that follows
vv. 21–22 — the qualifications: from John's baptism to the ascension
21
δεῖ οὖν τῶν συνελθόντων ἡμῖν ἀνδρῶν ἐν παντὶ χρόνῳcontent — δεῖ resumes v. 16's necessity — the fronted partitive genitive suspends the sentence until γενέσθαι (v. 22)
ᾧ εἰσῆλθεν καὶ ἐξῆλθεν ἐφ᾽ ἡμᾶς ὁ κύριος Ἰησοῦς,relative — the Hebrew idiom of daily presence (Num 27:17; 1 Sam 18:13)
22
ἀρξάμενος ἀπὸ τοῦ βαπτίσματος Ἰωάννου ἕως τῆς ἡμέραςparticipial — the loosely-attached nominative ἀρξάμενος (cf. Lk 24:47) — the termini of the eyewitness period
ἧς ἀνελήμφθη ἀφ᾽ ἡμῶν,relative — attraction again (ἧς for ᾗ) — ἀναλαμβάνω a third time: the ascension bounds the qualification
μάρτυρα τῆς ἀναστάσεως αὐτοῦ σὺν ἡμῖν γενέσθαι ἕνα τούτων.content — the suspended δεῖ-clause lands on its infinitive — the office defined: μάρτυς τῆς ἀναστάσεως, the apostolic function itself (2:32; 4:33)
vv. 23–26 — two names, the prayer, the lot
23
Καὶ ἔστησαν δύο,independent — narrative resumes — the community, not Peter alone, nominates; the choice itself is left to the Lord
Ἰωσὴφ τὸν καλούμενον Βαρσαββᾶν,phrase modifier — first candidate — Hebrew name, Aramaic patronymic
ὃς ἐπεκλήθη Ἰοῦστος,relative — the Latin cognomen completes the diaspora triple name
καὶ Μαθθίαν.phrase modifier — second candidate — 'gift of YHWH'; after v. 26 he is never mentioned again
24
καὶ προσευξάμενοι εἶπαν·independent — prayer before the lot — guidance sought, not chance
Σύ, κύριε, καρδιογνῶστα πάντων, ἀνάδειξονcontent — καρδιογνώστης — only in Acts (1:24; 15:8); the prayer addressed to the risen Lord who chose the first Twelve
ὃν ἐξελέξω ἐκ τούτων τῶν δύο ἕναcontent — indirect question — ἐκλέγομαι as at v. 2: the choice is already made; the lot will only reveal it
25
λαβεῖν τὸν τόπον τῆς διακονίας ταύτης καὶ ἀποστολῆς,purpose — purpose infinitive — διακονία καὶ ἀποστολή: service first, commission second (v. 17 echoed)
ἀφ᾽ ἧς παρέβη Ἰούδαςrelative — παραβαίνω — covenant transgression (Num 14:41 LXX), not mere failure
πορευθῆναι εἰς τὸν τόπον τὸν ἴδιον.purpose — infinitive of result — τόπος against τόπος: the office vacated, 'his own place' the old euphemism for his judgment
26
Καὶ ἔδωκαν κλήρους αὐτοῖς,independent — the NT's last lot — Prov 16:33: the decision is the LORD's; after Pentecost the Spirit appoints (13:2)
καὶ ἔπεσεν ὁ κλῆρος ἐπὶ Μαθθίαν,independent — ὁ κλῆρος — the noun of v. 17 closes its ring: Judas' forfeited share falls to another
καὶ συγκατεψηφίσθη μετὰ τῶν ἕνδεκα ἀποστόλων.independent — συγκαταψηφίζομαι, NT hapax — communal ratification; the Twelve stand reconstituted for Pentecost
Analysis. Acts 1 opens with the same seam Luke 1 showed: vv. 1–2 are one suspended Attic period — the fronted Τὸν μὲν πρῶτον λόγον carries the flush-left ἐποιησάμην, the ὧν-relative (attracted) hangs from πάντων, and the ἄχρι ἧς ἡμέρας clause is laid suspended, its participial charge (ἐντειλάμενος … διὰ πνεύματος ἁγίου) and the οὓς-relative leaning inward until the clause lands on its one verb, ἀνελήμφθη — the ascension verb (2 Kgs 2:11 LXX) that vv. 11 and 22 will sound again. The οἷς-καί connecting relative chains v. 3 on, and at v. 4 the sentence slides mid-relative into direct speech (ἣν ἠκούσατέ μου), so the promise of v. 5 hangs blue beneath ἠκούσατέ. From v. 6 the page turns narrative: main verbs flush left, temporal ὡς/ὅτε clauses leaning forward anchor-less (typed cnd, tagged temporal — the luke1 convention), preposed participles and genitive absolutes leaning on the verbs below them (ταῦτα εἰπών and βλεπόντων αὐτῶν over ἐπήρθη), and all speech hanging cnt beneath its verb of saying — v. 8, the programmatic outline of the whole book (Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, the end of the earth), is deliberately kept one long line. The eleven of v. 13 stand as coordinate verbless mod roster lines under ἀνέβησαν (the matthew10 pattern), their silence about Iscariot being the vacancy the last movement must fill. Peter's speech (vv. 15–26) is a cnt catena under εἶπεν: ἔδει at its head, the ὅτι-grounds of v. 17 beneath it, and the narrator's Akeldama parenthesis (vv. 18–19) nested as mod lines under v. 17's ἔλαχεν — Luke's aside to Theophilus, not Peter's words to the brothers, its translation gloss τοῦτ᾽ ἔστιν Χωρίον Αἵματος a mod beneath the Aramaic name — so that v. 20's γάρ visibly reaches back across the parenthesis to v. 17; the two citations (Ps 69:25; Ps 109:8) hang side by side under γέγραπται, and the δεῖ of v. 21 suspends across the qualification phrases until it lands on γενέσθαι (v. 22). Cruxes taken: συναλιζόμενος (v. 4) is glossed as table-fellowship ('sharing salt', cf. Lk 24:41–43), the 'assembling' sense noted; the vv. 18–19 account of Judas' end is left standing beside Matt 27:3–10, the divergence named rather than harmonized; τὸν τόπον τὸν ἴδιον (v. 25) is read as the old euphemism for Judas' judgment; and the lot of v. 26 — the NT's last — is read with v. 24 as the revelation of a choice already made, closing the κλῆρος ring opened at v. 17.